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By combining satellite observations with ground-based data and expert validation, this analysis demonstrates considerable misestimation of grassland extent and thereby carbon stock estimates in previous global assessments based on remote sensing.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes with a helical twist have been separated into samples enriched in either the left- or right-handed forms. Many exciting experiments await these sorted nanotubes, but first we need to decide what to call them.

Under most circumstances, Foxp3⁺ regulatory T (T_reg) cells are a stable T cell population essential for maintaining self-tolerance. A study now shows that the inflammatory environment in autoimmune arthritis induces conversion of a subset of Foxp3⁺ T cells into interleukin-17–producing cells that contribute to disease pathogenesis (pages 62–68).

The cycloaddition of N-metalated azomethine ylides to C₆₀ can result in the formation of a number of different stereoisomeric products. Now, it has been shown that the stereochemical outcome of this reaction can be controlled by carefully choosing the the correct combination of metal and ligand to form the complex that catalyses this process.

Sawada et al. show simultaneous activation of the STING and lymphotoxin beta receptor signaling induces B cell-activating germinal center responses within tumor environment and enhances antitumor responses.

The surface electronic structure of topological insulators is characterized by a so-called Dirac cone energy dispersion. This study shows that by tuning the compositions in the compound Bi_2−xSb_xTe_3−ySe_yone can control the precise features of its Dirac cone structure while keeping it a bulk insulator.

Atomic distribution in high-pressure water ice are directly observed, via neutron powder structure analysis, found hydrogen bonds become symmetric at pressures about 80 GPa, marking the transition from ice VII to ice X.

‘Molecular surgery’ is a useful method through which to create endohedral fullerenes that aren’t accessible by conventional physical methods of trapping small atoms and molecules. Here, the authors review the organic chemistry behind molecular surgery, describing the methods to access open-cage intermediates alongside the cage-closing chemistry.

While yeast Rap1 regulates telomere length and protects telomeres from non-homologous end joining, its role in higher eukaryotes is controversial. Here the authors present evidence that in mammals, RAP1 cooperates with TRF2 to prevent homologous recombination-mediated repair of telomeres.

Metastable cubic ice has been identified in several conditions relevant to geo and astrochemistry, but was always characterized by stacking disorder. Here the authors synthesize a hydrogen hydrate and degas hydrogen, obtaining pure non-defected cubic ice, observed by X-ray and neutron diffraction.

A comparison of alpha diversity (number of plant species) and dark diversity (species that are currently absent from a site despite being ecologically suitable) demonstrates the negative effects of regional-scale anthropogenic activity on plant diversity.

The Fanconi anemia pathway is involved in the signaling of DNA damage. Several Fanconi anemia proteins have been identified, but how the pathway is actually activated was unclear. Now, work on chicken DT40 cells indicates that phosphorylation of FANCI at multiple sites triggers FANCD2 monoubiquitination and DNA-damage repair.

The health of brain cells is known to depend on functional autophagy, but the details are unclear. Here, the authors perform systematic proteomic profiling of human and mouse neurons, delineating the landscape of autophagy degradation in brain.

The folate receptor alpha (FRα) is overexpressed in the majority of high-grade serous ovarian cancers and has been proposed as a candidate vaccine antigen. Here the authors report the safety and immunogenicity of Th17-inducing dendritic cells pulsed with FRα-derived epitopes in an early phase I clinical trial with ovarian cancer patients.

Overnutrition is associated with hypothalamic ER stress and impaired leptin signaling. Here the authors show that ER stress already occurs in neonates and that treatment with the ER stress relieving drug TUDCA early in life has beneficial metabolic and neurodevelopmental effects.

Choi et al. show that autophagy is activated in disease-associated microglia in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models, which prevents microglial senescence entry. Blocking microglial autophagy aggravates neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease mice.

Autophagy is known to impact CD4+ T cell proliferation but the identity of autophagosomal components remain unclear. Here the authors leverage a transgenic mouse model to assess the autophagosomal compartment and identify interleukin-7 receptor-α as a key cargo in proliferating CD4+ T cells.

Evidence suggests that meteoroid impacts on Ceres can trigger landslides, according to morphometric and absolute dating analysis of landslides and impact craters.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

2014 saw the emergence of a novel rheumatoid arthritis therapy to rival methotrexate, as well as advances in our understanding of mouse T-cell biology and of the cross-talk between the nervous system and the immune system. How will these advances affect the future of rheumatoid arthritis research and therapy?

Green and colleagues characterize LC3-associated phagocytosis as a process that depends on Rubicon, Beclin-1, UVRAG and VPS34 but not on canonical autophagy proteins.

Drivers responsible for plant microbiome variation between sites remain elusive. Here, the authors test how soil nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion affect plant microbiota in grasslands worldwide, showing that microbiota diversity responded to environmental variation similarly across sites.

A new study of samples from the Ryugu asteroid reveal a greater diversity of macromolecular organic matter than that found in related carbonaceous meteorites. Researchers find distinct populations of alkyl-aromatic grains, and organic carbonate is found with coarse-grained clay minerals

Patients with partial recombination-activating gene (RAG) deficiency (pRD) present variable late-onset autoimmune clinical phenotypes. Walter and colleagues identified a restricted primary B cell antigen receptor repertoire enriched for autoreactivity and clonal persistence in pRD. They described dysregulated B cell maturation with expansion of T-bet⁺ B cells revealing how RAG impacts stringency of tolerance and B cell fate in the periphery.

Hayabusa2 created an artificial crater on Ryugu to analyse the subsurficial material of the asteroid. Results show that the subsurface is more hydrated than the surface. It experienced alteration processes that can be traced back to Ryugu’s parent body.

In fetal liver, the structure of the differentiated haemapoietic progenitor cell population is established directly from precursor cells, independently of haemapoietic stem cells.